I would merely echo GH's observations. The point is not to be a mirror of their emotions. You can understand that they are having such emotions, but you can't do anything to make it better for them (hey, its not your job!) and you can empathize with them.

This is a major goal for me as well, I'm only coming to understand it more fully. Now I need to practice what I preach!

"Achieve success, but without vanity; Achieve success, but without aggression; Achieve success, but without gain; Achieve success, but without force." Lao Tzu